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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · bass · plane · key · mine · fork

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mine — for digging
  5. key — in music
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bass — low music
  8. pop — music
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. plane — a tool
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com